the a minor pentatonic scale
It's time now to introduce you to the scale upon which all that is rock depends: The Minor Pentatonic Scale. If you keep your ears open, simply playing the scale below well probably remind you of about 20,000 different riffs you've heard in your live. The popularity of this scale has a lot to do with the fact that it is extremely simply to play, and to employ. It can be very easily used to play guitar solos, and to write killer riffs. To explore some of the possibilities this scale presents, I recommend listening to Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, Cream, Metallica, Black Sabbath, The Donnas, or just about anything else that truly rocks. Get the point?
The composition of this scale is pretty simple. Just take the A Natural Minor Scale from Lesson 12, and remove the 2nd and 6th tones. What results is a Five-Tone (Penta-Tonic) scale that contains no half steps, and the scale is spelled A-C-D-E-G. The lack of half-steps is important to observe, because it is the lack of tricky half-step intervals that makes this scale so easy to use. It's the half-steps that present the most difficulty when you're improvising, because they pose the most potential for dissonance (horrific sound), so by eliminating them you're left with a very musical, user-friendly scale. If ass that didn't sink in, shut up and play yer' guitar, ok? Sometimes the best way to gain understanding is to just let go and play, but with that being said, all you have to do is click here I'll answer any questions you may have, because I'm a bad mofo. All right, then... Here's what you need to do:
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1. Memorize the scale! Play it forwards & backwards as indicated by the tablature below. Remember to LISTEN TO IT AS YOU'RE PLAYING! |
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2. Use your first finger for all notes on the 5th fret, your 3rd finger for those on the 7th fret, and your 4th finger for the notes on the 8th fret.
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3. Try to play the scale along with the example I've provided in the Blues in A example from Jam Tracks!. When you start feeling comfortable with that, make some friends, dammit! You simply have to get out and play with other people to improve. Try to get someone to play the chord progression for you, and proceed to wail away with the scale...
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4. Keep in mind that this is a moveable fingering. This means that you can play the same fingering anywhere on the neck, and it will still work. It will just be in a different key. Remember this: Wherever you start the scale will be the key it's in. On the 5th fret it's in A, on the 3rd fret G, on the 7th fret B, etc.
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4. By now you're getting ready to try the Lick of the Month! Remember that some of these are very difficult, but I've got two years worth of them archived. They are rated according to difficulty through the use of *'s. In the upcoming lessons I'll start discussing some of the techniques you'll find there, such as bending, hammer-ons, & pull-offs, but feel free to start playing around with the more advanced stuff anyway. Just promise me you won't get discouraged, K?
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"all you need is three chords, five notes, and an a**hole, and off you go"- keith richards